Fall 2026
Prereq: none
Units: 3-0-9 HASS-H, CI-H
One way to learn the art of reading fiction with insight and pleasure is to sample a variety of types; another is to dig deep into one author whose work is worth the attention. This class takes the latter approach: we’ll read all six of Jane Austen’s completed novels — Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey — plus (time permitting) the unfinished Sanditon. We’ll investigate Austen’s penetrating analyses of social, familial, and romantic relationships and her matchless comic style. Through reports and other projects, students will learn about the era and culture in which Austen worked. We will probably also watch some of the many film or TV adaptations that have been made of her novels. As a CI-H subject, the class will include a substantial amount of student writing and oral presentation. [Pre-1900]